Swift Energy, Parker Drilling Rise
Along With Price of Crude

By

Rob Curran and

Henry Sanderson

Updated June 19, 2007 12:01 a.m. ET

Small stocks slipped as the steady rise of oil prices tempered enthusiasm about mergers and Treasury yields.

"Bond yields came down some, which is a positive development," said Bruce Bittles, chief investment strategist at Robert W. Baird & Co. "But that's being offset by higher oil prices. I think that's why the market's flat:...